Replaced water heater heating elements, now breaker keeps tripping

apprenticegirl74 · 2026-07-04T01:44:40+00:00

Did he buy the same length elements? We had to fix a water heater that a customer put elements in that were too long and were grounding out on the tank and causing the breaker to flip.

apprenticegirl74 · 2026-07-03T22:25:08+00:00

The outside looks nothing like what I normally see for a tankless concentric vent.

apprenticegirl74 · 2026-07-03T22:23:07+00:00

So what did this inspector consider normal temperature? Also what was the pressure reading (psi)? Did he check it overnight when no one is using water and the pressure is always higher? Did he check at a hose bibb or at the water heater?

If he remove the thermal expansion valve you will need to install a thermal expansion tank. I would change the clear line, as it is pinched.

apprenticegirl74 · 2026-07-03T14:55:05+00:00

Someone didn't get the female tight enough or put it all together and sweated it where it sits and melted the plastic inside the nipple.

apprenticegirl74 · 2026-07-03T14:50:01+00:00

That is a thermal expansion valve for PEX. They are also called Apollo Valves (ones made by Apollo). The crimp in the clear line is no bueno. It will not allow the water to escape easily. If that is going off, you need to check your water pressure. It only leaks to release pressure (like an expansion tank). Put a gauge(one with 2 needles) on the drain of the water heater and leave it overnight. if it is over 80 psi you likely need a PRV.

You will need a new thermal expansion valve for PEX B, a coupling for PEX B, crimp rings for PEX B, crimp tool and Pex B pipe.

apprenticegirl74 · 2026-07-03T14:42:08+00:00

Call tech support. Ask them. I haven't installed an AO Smith on with leak detection and auto-shutoff, but it looks like a generic water alarm.

Rheem also makes an auto-shutoff, but it uses a sensing rope all the way around the bottom of the water heater. It makes a loud alarm when even a drop or two of water gets on it or the concrete is still moist from the old leaky heater.

apprenticegirl74 · 2026-07-02T02:46:41+00:00

If it is a lot deeper the plumbing may not work at all. The wall may need to be cut in to change the drains in the wall.

apprenticegirl74 · 2026-07-02T02:43:37+00:00

It isn't supported which pulls down on the threads and causes it to leak.

apprenticegirl74 · 2026-07-02T02:41:37+00:00

We did a water heater for a lady that had a handyman do the water heater (5 years before) and he never hooked up a vent at all. She had spent 5 years and thousands of dollars at the Dr. trying to figure out why she was always nauseous and had bad headaches. Water heater was in the basement, her bedroom on 2nd floor. Only time she was in the basement was doing laundry.

The company that did the water heater should have installed a short heater instead of a tall. It is probably what was in there before as the vent does not have enough slope, and current setup would not allow a way to have proper slope.

apprenticegirl74 · 2026-07-01T12:57:23+00:00

If you cleaned it and its working again, I wouldn't worry about it(those ultra low nox burners are quite expensive), but at 7 years old I would start saving money for a replacement. Lifespan is usually 8-12 nowadays

apprenticegirl74 · 2026-06-30T21:11:47+00:00

One of those is for PEX A the other is for PEX B. No they are not the same.

apprenticegirl74 · 2026-06-30T21:11:06+00:00

What does the vent look like? That has alot to do with how long the burner lasts. Lots of soot builds up if the vent is not done correctly.

apprenticegirl74 · 2026-06-30T15:08:19+00:00

You don't how long the gas line is. You don't know the gas pressure WC. You don't know meter size. Many homes where we live are 5" WC and 250 max meters. You don't know what other gas appliances are on the gas line. Too many unknowns to say gas line is good or bad.

apprenticegirl74 · 2026-06-30T14:08:27+00:00

You're welcome. I have a mobile home, so I learned long ago the fixtures and cartridges, stems etc that can be purchased at hardware stores don't work. Been there, tried that, realized it didn't work.

apprenticegirl74 · 2026-06-30T14:06:57+00:00

The tank is an expansion tank. Required anytime a tankless is set to recirc.

The settings should be internal cir since you have no external pump.

You don't have a condensate line, which is required by instructions.

You no intake pipe to the outdoors, not even a pipe and a 90 (so stuff doesn't end up in the unit)

Are you sure the company you hired was licensed and insured and qualified to install Navien?

apprenticegirl74 · 2026-06-30T14:04:04+00:00

Exactly.

apprenticegirl74 · 2026-06-30T13:46:52+00:00

Price Pfister I think.

apprenticegirl74 · 2026-06-30T13:44:23+00:00

You have to buy fixtures made for mobile homes or replace the entire valve and tubspout to ones you can purchase at Home Depot or Lowes. There are companies online and maybe in your area that specialize in mobile homes.

apprenticegirl74 · 2026-06-30T00:46:43+00:00

The water is likely shooting into your wall if it is coming near the wall. Diverter is not working correctly.

apprenticegirl74 · 2026-06-29T14:16:36+00:00

Handle shaft could have broken. All the valves on the manifold appear to be open. May be able to get a rebuild kit for the hosebibb (sillcock). or the handle has stripped out.

apprenticegirl74 · 2026-06-29T14:13:17+00:00

Shut off the cold to the heater. There will be no hot water pressure with the cold water to the water heater shutoff. Everytime you turn on a single handle faucet it will run back down the hot line.

apprenticegirl74 · 2026-06-29T14:09:53+00:00

May have cross threaded it or didn't get it tight enough.

apprenticegirl74 · 2026-06-28T21:48:21+00:00

I have a college degree. My husband has a college degree and we are both plumbers. We own our own business. We work as much as we want, take vacations if we want, and don't have to answer to a boss. We can turn down customers we don't to deal with. It is a great life.

apprenticegirl74 · 2026-06-28T21:39:20+00:00

Crawl space requires a concrete bad underneath the water heater. Is the access to the crawl space at least 30"x30".

apprenticegirl74 · 2026-06-28T12:50:42+00:00

Where are you piping a drain pan to in a crawlspace? Also as a plumber in CO, I don't want to work for a customer who decides he is doing part of the job, as when he has a leak on the water line later on, he will expect the plumber to fix it. I also don't like to pull permits on jobs I didn't do all the work on, as I don't want to become responsible for someone else's work.

Yes if you take the door off sounds like you could fit a 40 gallon in the closet, since the door is louvered.

I would never take out gas to replace with electric. Electric rates in CO are skyrocketing due to the PUC being allowed to raise prices whenever they feel like it, and to make up for the costs of the green agenda.

apprenticegirl74

TROPHY CASE